Changes in satiety hormone concentrations and feed intake in rats in response to lactic acid bacteria.

A negative energy balance can be accomplished by reducing the caloric intake which results in an increased feeling of hunger. This physiological state is regulated by secretion of satiety hormones. The secretion of these hormones can be influenced by ingestion of e.g. fat. Fat, dairy beverage and synbiotic mixture have been found to have satiety-inducing effects in humans and rats. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the change of satiety hormone concentration in rats in response to feeding of fermented milks containing lactic acid bacteria. Two studies were conducted with Wistar rats randomly allocated into groups receiving Lactobacillus fermented (2 L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. salivarius and L. rhamnosus) milk. A single isocaloric oral dose with the test item or control was given to the rats. Blood samples were taken after dosing with the test product and the satiety hormones were measured. For the test groups, significant changes could be detected in PYY concentrations after 60 min, although some groups had a significant lower feed intake. In conclusion, some probiotic Lactobacillus strains may modify satiety hormones production. However, more studies are needed to evaluate their potential of prolonging satiety.

Sonographic assessment of abdominal fat distribution in infancy.

There is growing evidence that not only the total amount of fat, but also the distribution of body fat determines risks for metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Developmental studies on factors influencing body fat distribution have been hampered by a lack of appropriate techniques for measuring intraabdominal fat in early life. Sonography, which is an established method for assessing abdominal fat distribution in adults, has not yet been evaluated in infants. To adapt the sonographic measurement of abdominal fat distribution to infants and study its reliability. The Generation R study, a population-based prospective cohort study. We included 212 one- and 227 two-year old Dutch infants in the present analysis. Sixty-two infants underwent replicate measurements to assess reproducibility. We developed a standardized protocol to measure the thickness of (1) subcutaneous and (2) preperitoneal fat in the upper abdomen of infants. To this end we defined infancy specific measurement areas to quantify fat thickness. Reproducibility of fat measurements was good to excellent with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.93-0.97 for intra-observer agreement and of 0.89-0.95 for inter-observer agreement. We observed a pronounced increase in preperitoneal fat thickness in the second year of life while subcutaneous fat thickness increased only slightly, resulting in an altered body fat distribution. Gender did not significantly influence fat distribution in the first two years of life. Our age specific protocol for the sonographic measurement of central subcutaneous and preperitoneal fat is a reproducible method that can be instrumental for investigating fat distribution in early life.

Yogurt drink fortified with menaquinone-7 improves vitamin K status in a healthy population.

Population-based studies have shown an inverse association between dietary menaquinones (MK-n, vitamin K2) intake, coronary calcification and CHD risk, suggesting a potential role of vitamin K in vascular health. To date, the effects of increased menaquinone intake on (markers of) vascular health have been investigated using predominantly food supplements. Dairy products contain many essential nutrients and can serve as a good matrix for food fortification in order to support health. We were therefore interested to study the effects of a menaquinone-fortified yogurt drink (menaquinone as menaquinone-7 (MK-7); 28 µg MK-7/yogurt drink) on vitamin K status and markers of vascular health. The yogurt drink was also fortified with n-3 PUFA, vitamin D, vitamin C, Ca and Mg to support vascular and/or general health. Healthy men (n 32) and postmenopausal women (n 28) with a mean age of 56 (sd 5) years received either basic or fortified yogurt drink twice per d for 12 weeks. MK-7 was efficiently absorbed from the fortified yogurt drink. Levels of circulating MK-7 were significantly increased from 0·28 to 1·94 ng/ml. In accordance, intake of the fortified yogurt drink improved vitamin K status, as measured by significant decreases in uncarboxylated osteocalcin and desphospho-uncarboxylated matrix Gla-protein. No effects were, however, seen on markers of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and lipid metabolism. In summary, consumption of a yogurt drink fortified with low doses of among others MK-7 for 3 months significantly improved vitamin K status in a healthy population.